Remembering the Titanic by Diane Hoh

Author:Diane Hoh [Hoh, Diane]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-4532-4819-5
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media LLC
Published: 2012-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

AT THE LAST MINUTE, Katie’s singing engagement in Larchmont was cancelled. She was brushing her hair in her room when Lottie called up the stairs, “Flo just telephoned. The people what was havin’ the party had to cancel. Some relative died. She said you can do as you please tonight and she’ll talk to you tomorrow. I made sure she knew we had Mass in the morning, so she wouldn’t telephone then. She said she’d wait until after Sunday dinner.”

When Katie had changed out of the new blue dress and pinned up her hair, she went downstairs, intent on calling Paddy. If he’d already had his meeting with Edmund and the British publisher, maybe he’d take her to their favorite place: Coney Island. They hadn’t been there since spring, and the weather was perfect now for such an outing. An evening breeze would surely arise to cool off the afternoon heat, and there was no hint of rain. She was missing him something fierce, they hadn’t parted on such grand terms, and they always had such fun at the wondrous amusement park.

He wasn’t home. Katie let the telephone ring far longer than was sensible, unwilling to give up her thought of a lovely evening with Paddy.

When she finally, despondently, replaced the receiver, Lottie was standing nearby with a suggestion. “You ain’t had a Satiddy night off in a while,” she said. “Malachy and me was thinkin’, why don’t we all go to Coney Island? Mary and Tom and their wee one could come, too, if they’ve a mind to.”

John Donnelly, reading the newspaper in the front parlor, overheard. He came out into the hall to say politely, “I wouldn’t mind going along, if no one objects. I’ve heard a lot about the place, but haven’t been just yet. I wasn’t keen on going alone.”

Katie hadn’t the heart to say he wasn’t welcome. And with a clear eye on matchmaking now that she’d given up on Paddy, Lottie said hastily, “Oh, that’d be grand, John! Won’t that be grand, Katie? All of us goin’ together?”

Katie nodded and managed a smile for John. ’Twasn’t his fault that her and Paddy was having troubles. “It’ll be fun,” she said, trying to believe it herself. “I’ll just run across the street and invite Mary and Tom. I hope Mary isn’t feelin’ poorly.”

Mary was feeling “top-drawer,” and an hour later, all seven of them, Bridget perched on Katie’s lap, were crammed into Tom’s old black car, on their way to Coney Island.

As much as Katie loved the amusement park, it was not at all the same without Paddy. ’Twas Paddy who had talked her into riding the Red Devil Rider, which had taken her breath away; Paddy who had insisted she, too, try to win a prize at various game booths instead of standing by like other girls while the fellow did all the work. He had seemed as thrilled as she when she won a small stuffed panda for aiming carefully enough to knock down three small white ducks in a row in a shooting gallery.

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